A stroke of (possible) genius

Who doesn't love those squeezable applesauce packets for kids?  Personally, I love them.  They are quick, convenient and mess-free.  Sweet Pea finally got the concept of drinking from a straw after sucking one of those yummy applesauces.

However, they are expensive.

So expensive, in fact, that we don't buy them.  Sweet Pea sometimes mooches one off her cousin, and once or twice I've grabbed one in pinch while running errands.  But the buck-fifty-or-so price tag just doesn't sit well with me, not when I can buy an entire jar of organic applesauce for $2.50.

Last week, I decided to do a little research to see if I could find a reusable, squeezable, suckable container for a little kid.  There are actually a few on the market, but the whopping $17 you have to shell out for something that is so easily lost or dropped ticked those right off my list of options.  But then I stumbled on these.

  

They are basically supposed to be condiment containers for hiking, but they work perfectly for yogurt and applesauce for a baby, and a package of two was $4.75 shipped.  They were a little bigger than I expected, but they seemed to do the trick anyway.  She loved sucking applesauce (blended with broccoli...shhh, don't tell her!) from hers, and the fact that I ordered something from R.E.I. made me feel really adventurous and crunchy.

  

"Waaaait a second....there's brocoli in here?!
Sneaky, Mama, sneaky!"

Granted, they aren't as perfect as those awesome little applesauce guys, but they do the trick and they are reusable.  The plastic is maleable enough for little hands yet sturdy enough for hand-washing regularly.  I definitely left a little too much air in it the first time so she had a bit of a harder time getting it out, but the second try worked like a charm.

Two downsides: 

1.  I'm not sure that the plastic is BPA-free.  They said the containers were food grade, but didn't say anything about BPA and I didn't realize that until after they came.  

2.  The ends are sealed with a little plastic clip that was tough for me to get on and impossible to get off.  I needed my husband's big 'ole man hands.  I'm hoping they get a little easier with some use.  

So there you have it.  I may have landed on a stroke of genius.  R.E.I., get ready for some more orders.  You should be giving me a stipend.  


*No, I only WISH this post was sponsored.  It's not.  Just sharing!   

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